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In order to incentivize sellers and encourage them to offer their products for sale via Melltoo, Melltoo grants newly registered sellers a waiver of commission on their first three* listings.

*this is subject to change without advance notice

However, sellers are not allowed to create multiple user accounts for the purposes of avoiding commissions. If a seller is found to have created multiple accounts in order to avoid paying commissions, all of their transactions will be subject to retroactive commission fees. In such cases, an audit of the seller’s accounts will be conducted by the Melltoo Security and Anti-Fraud Enforcement (SAFE) team, and previously waived commission amounts will be deducted from their cash balance without prior notice.

Note: Any abuse of this commission waiver policy may result in the immediate suspension of your user account(s) without prior notice.

Did you know your used iPhone 6 can feed 100 refugees? This Earth Day, reduce your e-waste and save lives in the process. Dubai-based startup Melltoo, no-melltoo classifieds, has partnered with local startups Fetchr, Washmen and The Box to collect your used electronics for free. The devices will be reset, data wiped and sold for charity. Funds will go to Salma Aid, a Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid initiative that provides food relief for victims of humanitarian crises.

Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year.

According to Morrad Irsane, cofounder of Melltoo: “Most of us in the UAE have mobile phones, laptops and TVs that we no longer use. They collect dust in a drawer or closet somewhere. Eventually, we throw them away. When we do this, not only do we contribute to the growing e-waste problem, we’re throwing away money that can be used to help people. We at Melltoo collect these electronics, we clean and reset them, then sell them to support refugees. We reduce the clutter in your lives and reduce the amount of e-waste produced, while helping people.”

As consumer electronics become indispensable tools in everyday lives, e-waste is a rapidly escalating problem. More than 45 million tons of e-waste are produced globally every year, the equivalent of 100 Burj Khalifa towers. The global average is 6.1 kg per person of e-waste a year. Compare that to the UAE average of 13.6kg of e-waste per resident in the Emirates.

UAE has “one of the world’s lowest life expectancy of electronics and high amounts of consumption, making the country produce substantial amounts of electronic waste annually”, according to an e-waste report by the United Nations University, UN information and communication technology agency, The International Telecommunication Union and the non-profit International Solid Waste Association,

While there are several initiatives to recycle e-waste in the UAE, Melltoo takes it one step further. The startup first attempts to sell devices that are in reasonable condition then recycles what cannot be sold through their partners. Sale proceeds go to support Salma Aid, a Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid initiative that provides food relief for victims of humanitarian crises.

On the occasion of Earth Day, the startup has partnered with Washmen, Fetchr and The Box to collect used electronics from UAE residents. For the week of Earth Day, from 22 – 28 April, they will collect consumer electronics like mobile phones and devices, laptops and computers, accessories, TVs, game consoles and the like. Customers of Washmen, an on-demand laundry service, can add a box of unwanted electronics along with their laundry pickup. Washmen collects everything and delivers them to The Box, a self-storage facility in Al Quoz that has donated storage space to store the electronics while they are being prepped for sale. In addition, Fetchr, a last-mile logistics company, will also do home pickups of used electronics for free. Melltoo, along with a team of student volunteers will clean and reset all devices and list them for sale.

“We are grateful to our partners, The Box, Washmen, Fetchr and our student volunteers for their generosity in supporting this Earth Day #Declutter4aCause initiative, in line with the Year of Zayed. The problems of e-waste and the refugee crisis are not problems that one entity or person can solve alone. It is through working together and getting everyone involved that we can really make a difference.” said Morrad Irsane of Melltoo.

We’d like to announce our new partnership with The Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) to raise vital funds to support local cancer patients.

Impacter sellers and buyers can now help create an impact and difference in the lives of people affected by cancer. With FoCP already active in-app, Mellsters can now list an item for sale and choose for sales proceeds to go towards empowering patients enrolled in their treatment programmes. When a seller sells for a charitable cause, Melltoo will automatically donate the cash from the sale to FOCP’s account.

The Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) is a UAE based society providing its services across the United Arab Emirates to all residents of the country. FoCP was established in late 1999 in accordance with the directives and under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP), International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC. Being the leading cancer specific charity operating in the UAE, FoCP, an NGO and registered charity, has since its inception continuously delivered moral, financial, and clinical support to over 990 patients and their families, regardless of their nationality, gender, age, religion, or ethnicity. The primary focus is on promoting awareness around early detectable cancers within the UAE community. FoCP has also initiated numerous leading cancer-focused awareness programmes targeting the community, which have become recognised locally, regionally, and internationally. FoCP is committed to helping cancer patients and their families get through the long and arduous journey of cancer treatment. Their motto is “We’re with you”. FoCP provides a broad spectrum of support including, covering treatment expenses for chemotherapy, radiation and other needed medications, in addition to expenses for investigative and surgical procedures.FoCP is constantly raising the bar and setting new targets to expand on its achievements to date and empower the community to change the cultural and social stigma associated with cancer.

Looking forward to the partnership, here’s what our founders at Melltoo had to say:

“Cancer is something that has negatively affected everyone. I doubt there is anyone who doesn’t have at least a distant relative or somebody they care for who has been hurt by cancer at some point or other. It’s therefore important that we are compassionate and support those who are suffering from this illness. It can happen to anyone.” – Sharene Lee

“Melltoo impacter came into existence to make an impact. By partnering with organisations like FoCP doing groundbreaking work in research and treatment for Cancer we truly are able to help create impact in the lives of people who need it the most.” – Morrad Irsane

FoCP has garnered widespread recognition and awards from numerous leading institutions, locally, regionally, and internationally for their leading role in helping cancer patients and creating awareness about the disease. We’re delighted to have them as our new charity partner and to help them with their fundraising activities. The money we raise through this Impacter partnership will make a huge difference to the work that they do and it will have a lasting impact on thousands of local people affected by cancer.

The introduction of VAT in the UAE has people worried. It increases the cost of living for everyone in already tough economic times. Fortunately, buying and selling second hand items on Melltoo is still generally a VAT free activity. Since Melltoo doesn’t own the inventory being sold in the marketplace, Melltoo is only responsible for VAT on our selling fees and courier charges. However, for the time being, we have decided to absorb the additional costs in an effort to support our community of buyers and sellers. We’re in this together.

As a seller on Melltoo, you are responsible for VAT on the products you are selling. So do you have to charge VAT on your items? If you are an individual selling a used iPhone or second hand sofa, there is no VAT applicable as long as it’s a one-time activity. However, if you are a business or shop in the business of selling second hand items, then you must charge VAT on the profit you made if you sell more than 375,000 AED a year. Here are other scenarios to consider.

Scenario 1: Individual selling new or used personal belongings on Melltoo

If you sell more than 375,000 AED per year: VAT is charged at 5% on the profit you make.

For example, you purchase a used LV bag from someone at 1000 AED and you want to sell it for 1250 AED. Your profit is 1,250 – 1,000 AED = 250 AED. You are liable to collect 5% VAT on your profit (250 AED x 5% = 12.50 AED). In other words, your item should be priced at 1,262.50 AED (1,250 + 12.50 AED) and you will have to pay 12.50 AED in taxes at the end of the year.

What do you do with the smartphones, laptops and electronics that you stop using? Where can you donate, recycle, or dispose of unwanted electronics in the UAE?

As our lives become more and more dependent on electronics, consumer upgrade cycles are shortening. In 2013-2014, the typical consumer upgraded and replaced his smartphone every 24 to 26 months. In 2017, the global average was every 21 months. In the GCC, UAE and Saudi Arabia, consumers upgraded their devices every 19 months.

So what happens to the devices that get replaced? Most of us stick them in a drawer somewhere, forget about them and they eventually end up as ewaste. Electronic waste is a big problem. 2017 produced an estimated 48.2 million metric tons of ewaste, that’s about 100 times the weight of Burj Khalifa.

Ewaste is particularly bad for the environment. Not only is ewaste often hazardous, leaking harmful chemicals (such as lead) into the environment, it is also largely composed of irreplacable metals and nonbiodegradable glass and plastics.

So what can you do with your used and unwanted electronics in the UAE? Here are several options to properly deal with ewaste in the UAE.

Option 1: Sell

Selling your used electronics is typically a great way to recycle a product by giving it a second. Even broken electronics can be sold for parts.

Melltoo is a great place to sell used electronics. List your items online in complete privacy, buyers contact you via in-app chat and comments. Once the buyer is ready, he/she pays in-app and a courier collects the item from you to be delivered to the buyer. There are NO meetups with strangers and payment is transferred to your bank account or in cash via cardless ATM. Download the app here.

If you really want to make a positive impact, you can also #Resell4aCause through the Melltoo app, donating all sale proceeds to a charitable cause. Supported causes including food relief for refugees (Salma Aid) and sponsoring orphans (Emirates Red Crescent). In exchange, you will receive “impacter credit” which can be exchanged for vouchers and credit at other retailers. The process is basically the same as a normal sale, more info can be found here.

Second hand mobile shops

These can be found in many neighborhoods around Dubai and all over the UAE. They are usually located in the souqs or neighborhood strip malls. Typically, you bring in your device and the shop purchases it from you in cash. However, since the shops need to make a sizable margin off your device, you won’t get a very good price for it.

Trade-in

There are many retail outlets that let you trade in your used devices for store credit to purchase a new one. Axiom and eMax both do this. You bring your device into the store and they will give you a quote on how much your device is worth. The amount is then given to you as store credit to purchase a new item. Of course, the issue with this is that you will have to purchase a new device from the same store.

Option 2: Donate

Your used electronics can improve the lives of people in need.

Give to those around you

The UAE is a diverse community with people from all walks of life and economic situations. If you know people who would benefit from your used device, the ideal situation is to give your device to them. In some cases, they will use it; in other cases, they will sell it and pocket the cash. However, you should only give people functional devices.

As an added service, Melltoo will also collect your used electronics and sell them on your behalf. Sale proceeds will go to the charitable cause that you wish to support. Melltoo will also erase all data and reset devices to factory settings prior to the sale. Instead of handling the sale on your own, Melltoo will do it for you. The only caveat is that you will not receive the “impacter credit” that you would normally receive if you handled the sale personally (see above).

Give to charitable organizations

Unfortunately, there are very few charitable organizations that accept electronics as donations. This is not surprising since handling and processing electronics is expensive and difficult. Charity programs need cash to operate. In-kind donations such as clothing and shoes are typically sold by the kilogram to resellers in order to obtain the cash required to purchase new items for those in need. Electronics are even more difficult to collect and process and charities simply don’t have the manpower and resources to do this.

If you want to donate electronics to charities, call the organization ahead of time to ensure that they are willing to accept them. Then ask them for the precise drop off location where you can bring your electronics.

Option 3: Recycle or dispose

There are several options to recycle or dispose of your used electronics with reduced harm to the environment. Some are free public services and others are paid services. Here are some companies to try.

You sell, they win. You’re an Impacter.

We’ve created a new feature called “Impacter” in response to the feedback of sellers in the UAE. Sellers can now resell their items on our platform for a cause. When they #Resell4aCause, people in-need “win.”

We’ve partnered with charities, such as the UAE Red Crescent and Salma Aid, that are licensed to collect donations in the UAE. We will add new causes along the way in an effort to increase our and your impact on society

How it works?

Our goal has always been and still is helping people buy-sell easy on our no-meetup classifieds platform.

1, Sellers choose to add an “Impacter” badge to their listings in the feed.

(Seller uploads item for sale)

Seller chooses registered charity to whom they donate their sale proceeds (In part or full)

NB: The donation amount is equal to the cash amount that the seller would usually receive (The amount the seller would usually receive will now go to charity of choice instead.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Listings on the app

How do buyers know which items are for “impacter” (being sold for a cause) and which are “regular” Melltoo listings?

All listings for “impacter” have a footprint icon on them. The beneficiary cause is also indicated in the item details screen.

Can I choose which listings I want to #Resell4aCause?

Yes! Before you submit a new listing for sale on the app, you will get the chance to select whether sale proceeds go entirely to you or if you want to donate sale proceeds to a cause of your choice.

Can I change Impacter status after someone buys my item? In other words can I change my mind about donating sale proceeds after the sale has taken place?

No, you may not. All impacter listings become definitive when a buyer places an order for that particular listing. This means you will not be able to change the impacter status.

Transactions

What are the different payment methods on Melltoo (and Melltoo Impacter)?

You can pay for items you see on the Melltoo app with your Melltoo wallet. You will either pay with cash on delivery once the item is shipped to your address or a debit/credit card. You can use free credit from Melltoo as well for up a 50% discount on any item (300AED max per transaction).

How do I donate money?

You can’t donate cash directly. If you wish to do so, please contact the charities directly. What Impacter does is transform your stuff into cash for a cause. After successfully selling your item, your newly available cash sale money will be transferred to the charity account you preselected.

Can an “impacter” transaction get cancelled by admin?

Unfortunately, yes. “Impacter” transactions are regular transactions on Melltoo. They’re subject to monitoring by our SAFE team and they may be cancelled if the either the buyer or the seller end the transaction before completion.

Melltoo Wallet

Where can I see how much I’ve sold for a cause?

You can check all your sales, both normal and Impacter sales, through your user profile.

Returns

Do return fees apply to sales of “impacter” sales?

All return rules apply to impacter transactions. In the event of a return, depending on the reasons, either buyers or sellers will incur a return fee if applicable.

How do I track my return shipment?

Depending on the company that is delivering your item (you’ll receive order details confirmation once the shipment is booked).

Special features

What is Impacter credit?

Every time you successfully sell a new item that is marked for “impacter”, you receive impacter credit. In the near future, Impacter credit can be redeemed for freebies provided by our partners.

Will I be recognized for donating money through Impacter?

Every 4 months, we will publish a report on all donations made through the Melltoo app and the recipient charities. Melltoo usernames will be published along with the corresponding amounts contributed.

Can I make anonymous donations?

If users choose to remain anonymous, we will not share their personal details, we will share however their Melltoo username, as it appears on the app, in our quarterly reports (publicly available).

Is my item safe during shipment?

Melltoo’s Pay&Ship guarantees that once goods are shipped through us, they will get to the customer and the seller will be paid. As long as items are properly packaged, any damaged incurred during shipping will be covered by the couriers.

Registered partner charities

All of Melltoo Impacter partners are registered charities in the UAE. Melltoo has a government-issued license through each partner to collect funds on their behalf in the UAE.

Emirates Red Crescent is the local UAE branch of The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). They fund medical and disaster relief missions in the UAE and around the world.

Salma Aid

Salma Aid is a local UAE charity founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. Salma funds food relief efforts for refugees and misplaced populations in distress areas.

Friends of Cancer Patients

Friends of Cancer Patients in a local UAE-based charity founded by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife to the Ruler of Sharjah-UAE and International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). FoCP is committed to helping cancer patients and their families get through the long and arduous journey of cancer treatment through both moral and financial support of patients and their families irrespective of nationality, gender, age, religion or ethnicity.

The last month has not been easy. A series of hurricanes devastated many cities in the Caribbean as well as mainland America. Flooding in India, Nepal and Bangladesh killed nearly 1,200 people and shut down thousands of schools. Wildfires raged through deforested lands, destroying homes and people’s livelihoods on their way.

Scientists and nearly everyone in the business community recognize these events as partially caused by climate change and the impact of overproduction on our planet.

We, Melltoo, recognize that mass production drives people to consume more and burn up more gases to produce enough energy for our needs. All of this mass consumption is a primary cause of unseasonal weather, deforestation, droughts and flooding. After all, if we’re burning fuel, fracking, cutting and over-cultivating, new strange events will happen.

We launched Impacter because of our belief that selling second hand can play a powerful part in helping reduce overconsumption. We want to add a third “R” to the 3Rs, reduce, reuse, recycle and RESELL. We want to stand for responsible consumerism. We want to stand for responsible business.

Since day one, our goal has always been to give our users the best classifieds experience ever. We facilitate their buying, selling, shipping and payment all in one app. The Impacter initiative is our effort to approach a 7-star customer experience, where every member of the Melltoo community is not only a responsible consumer but ultimately an Impacter.

Impacter was launched on Android and iOS apps in October 2017. Impacter helps our community #Resell4aCause. Instead of hoarding stuff in your closet that you don’t use, simply list them for sale on Melltoo, turn them into cash that goes to support a cause you select. Impacter means that selling used items can be a force for good not only by reducing waste but also by giving back to social causes.

The idea has been cooking slowly through several iterations since last Spring and it truly reflects the ideals and values that Melltoo holds dearly. They are the same values of trust and no-waste (we’re the no-meetup classifieds after all!) that have guided our business since the beginning.

Morrad Irsane, CEO and Chief Value Officer for our brand and company: “We launched impacter to make a positive impact on society with the help of our community of buyers and sellers. The power to enact real positive change in society is up to us the people. If everyone makes the small step of reselling for a cause, the world will become a better place.”

For our users, it’s quite simple. User “Maryam” sells for a cause because it just makes sense.

Melltoo is partnering with a number of registered charities in the UAE to help every member of our community become an impacter!

All charities in the UAE are government-licensed. In addition, a license from the UAE authorities is necessary for a private business to collect money on behalf of a charity. As part of the process to obtain and maintain the license, the licensing authority conducts regular checks on the business.

Below is a list of our Melltoo Impacter charities. The list will be updated as necessary.

Emirates Red Crescent

Emirates Red Crescent is the local UAE branch of The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). They fund medical and disaster relief missions in the UAE and around the world.

Salma Aid

Salma Aid is a local UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. Salma funds food relief efforts for refugees and misplaced populations in distress areas.

Friends of Cancer Patients

Friends of Cancer Patients is a non-profit Society, founded in 1999 under the directives and patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah-UAE, Founder and Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients, International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC and Patron of the First Global NCD Alliance Forum.

FoCP is committed to helping cancer patients and their families get through the long and arduous journey of cancer treatment. Since its inception, FoCP has delivered moral and financial support to cancer patients and their families, irrespective of their nationality, gender, age, religion or ethnicity.

FOCP is a member of different international and regional organisations including, the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) based in Geneva – Switzerland, The American Cancer Society, The NCD Alliance and the Kuwait-based Gulf Federation for Cancer Control. FoCP is also an affiliate of local health bodies such as UAE Ministry of Health, Abu Dhabi Health Authority, Sharjah Health Authority and Dubai health Authority.

FoCP has garnered widespread recognition and awards from numerous leading institutions, locally, regionally, and internationally in helping cancer patients and creating awareness about the disease.

Culture contributes to team synergy and is a key factor to our success as a company. We have blogged previously about our culture of collaboration, team spirit and the unique remote work format that we have developed over the years. that all have allowed Melltoo to thrive as a technology resources and allocate resources to technology to develop Pay&Ship or completely revamp or post flow and our search flow.

We’re packing a new technology within the new release of the app that will even unlock the monetary value of secondhand items in the local economy. As a mission-driven company, we take pride in not only providing bug-free technology for our users, but also empower them through this technology to use their newly earned money for social good.

2017 CACSC Dubai Final!

We’re also glad to announce our participation to the Create @ Alibaba Cloud competition in Shanghai this October 2017!

Melltoo Marketplace will be present at the World Summit Awards in Vienna in March in 2018 to unveil our newest product feature to date: Melltoo (Social) Impacter.

The World Summit Wards reunites global businesses from the world over who are leaders in their own fields in several categories such as government and citizen engagement (Melltoo is nominated for this category), green energy, commerce, culture and a myriad of other specializations. Find out more here.

Melltoo will join the ranks of regional and world-famous products such as Angry Birds and Anghami. We look forward to effectively transform community e-commerce for social good in the UAE.

Melltoo Social Impacter is a new feature embedded into the Melltoo app that allows Mellsters to buy and sell for a cause. Like we did with online secondhand commerce, our job is to reduce friction for both donors and charities. We transform in-kind contributions to cash that is easily, cheaply and transparently transferred to charities in the UAE of the seller’s choice. In the process, we unlock the value of “stuff” that sits in drawers and storage rooms across the country, simultaneously combatting overproduction while giving back to social causes.

The idea and passion behind Melltoo impacter stems from our business and our team’s core beliefs in the values of efficiency through an A-Z e-commerce approach to classifieds sales and sustainability through conscionable consumerism. Every day, Melltoo users decide to sell their secondhand items instead of disposing them into increasing unmanageable landfills.

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